Weight Loss Made Easy

You may think bikes are just for kids, but they’re not. Millions of adults ride bikes every day. Some ride bikes for transportation, some ride bikes to race, some ride bikes for fun and others ride bikes for fitness.

Biking can help you lose weight. If you used to love riding your bike,why not get it out of cobwebs and fix it up, or buy a new one. Start riding your bike again to help you lose weight.

If you don’t want to ride alone look for a local cycling club to ride with. Not only will biking help you lose weight, it’ll help you make new friends too.

Get the support for weight loss that you need. If you’re serious about losing weight you’ll need to get some support for weight loss. This support for weight loss can come from a friend, spouse, your children, or even from an electronic fitness device such as the Wii Fit .

Support for weight loss often comes when you pair up with a weight loss partner .  This is someone who you are going to lose weight with. It could be someone on your block that also wants to lose weight, so you agree to meet on certain days of the week to offer each other support for weight loss.

It’s very important that you get support for weight loss. Without it a lot of people fail and go back to their old ways. Go out today and try to find support for weight loss, you’ll thank yourself for the effort.

Here are four simple exercises that you should do each day to tone your body. If you do nothing else, just take 10 minutes and tone your body. You’ll start to see results in a matter of a couple weeks and you’ll feel so much better about yourself.

Crunches - Lay on the floor with your legs in the air at a 90 degree angle and cross your feet. I like to lay with my but against the couch and my legs on the couch. Support your head with your hands, but don’t use your arms to do the crunches. Using your stomach muscles pull your head up until your body comes off the floor at bra strap length. Go  back down. Start with 3 sets of 8 on day one and work up from there.

Push ups - Face down with your knees on the floor and your feet crossed in the air behind you. Your hands under your shoulders on the floor. Bend your elbows until your nose almost touches the floor, then come back up. Start with 3 sets of 8 and work your way up from there.

Squats - Place your feet shoulder width apart, keep your back as strait as a board and squat down as far as you can go, come back up. If this is too easy, use weights. Start with 3 sets of 8 and work your way up.

Lunges -  Lunges can be done in place or walking. To do lunges in place, oyt your right foot in front of you bending both legs, then go back to straight position. Change legs. To do lunges walking put your right foot in front of you bending both logs, then pull the other leg forward going into straight position. Change legs. Start with 3 sets of 8 for each leg.

I don’t know about you, but my biggest problem with going for a walk or a bike ride is the weather. It’s either too hot, too cold, raining, or something else is wrong. I’m sure I can find something wrong with about 90% of every day of the year. So when do I have time to exercise?

The trick is to get rid of the excuses. Other people do it, thin people. You want to be a thin person, don’t you? Maybe you don’t. If you really want to be a thin person, then you have to start thinking like a thin person. Get rid of all the excuses.

If it’s too hot, pack extra water and wear shorts, no sleaves and pack on the sunscreen. Don’t worry about what other people think, just get out there and move your body.

If it’s too cold, put extra layers on under or over your clothes. Wear a hat, gloves, scarf, whatever you need to keep warm. Just get out there and do something. If you have asthma, bring along your inhaler.

If it’s raining, not pouring, put on a raincoat, use an umbrella (unless it’s windy), get some rain boots. Enjoy the sounds of the rain and relax while you take a walk in the rain. Keep warm and don’t worry about getting a little wet, you can dry off later.

There are 6 weeks in my walking routine for beginners. This walking routine is designed to start you out very slow and ease you into walking. It fits in a lot of interval training so you burn more calories with a shorter workout. You start out with a short easy workout and slowly work your way up over the course of 6 weeks.

• Week 1 :  20 minutes at an easy pace this week.

• Week 2 : Up it to 30 minutes a day this week, you can do it.

• Week 3 : Trying for 40 minute for each workout this time at a moderate pace.

• Week 4 : Ready for that hour yet? Half way though the 6 week walking course now.

• Week 5 : Let’s try to walk a little faster this week.

• Week 6 : I wonder how far you can go in one hour?

Happy walking!

Kids on average are heavier than they were when I was a kid. When I go to my oldest son’s high school I can see this for myself. The girls have wider hips and more pinch an inch area around their middle than any of my friends had in high school. There are very few “thin” girls there, not the way “thin” girls were years ago anyway.

Why not help your kids by starting them on an exercise routine now. As long as your kids can stand up, they can exercise. Something as simple at turning on some music and dancing with your child will help them learn the joys of moving their body and will keep them in shape.

Maybe you can even take an exercise class with your son or daughter. Many karate schools have family workout classes so you and your kids can learn karate together. Many gyms will allow kids as young as 12 into their workouts and exercise classes.

Take bike rides with your kids or go on walks or hikes. Maybe you can plan a nature hike and look for different kinds of plants or animals. Go for a picnic at the top of a high hill or small mountain. Make it fun so they learn to keep with it.

Often times when you join a gym you get some personal trainer visits along with your membership. If you belong to a gym, ask about this benefit. People who use a personal trainer to get their workout started loose weight faster and keep it off longer.

Having a personal trainer show you the ropes will get you motivated. It will also help to make sure you’re doing the right exercises for what you want to accomplish. If your goal is to lose weight and your friends goal it to get stronger, the personal trainer may give you both different exercises to do to reach your individual goals.

If you’re already in a routine but you’ve reached a plateau, it may be time for that personal trainer visit again. The personal trainer can change around your exercise routing to get your goal back on track.

Exercise is a great way to keep your heart healthy. People who exercise have less problems with their health in general. Here are some things that you can make better just by exercising more.

1. Asthma - Regular exercise can keep your lungs from becoming inflamed hence making your asthma seem like it’s gone away.

2. Blood Pressure - Lower your blood pressure by exercising on a regular basis.

3. Cholesterol - Boost your HDL cholesterol by exercising so it can help filter away the LDL and keep your cholesterol from building up.

4. Arteries - Keep your arteries from hardening by working out.

5. Triglycerides - Keep those pesky triglycerides low by working out.

You think you’re going to need to work out so you can lose weight. While that’s true there are many other reasons to make sure you work out every day. Fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is not the only reason.

Looking better is another reason, and I don’t mean size wise. When you work out people can tell. The glow in your face, the tone of your skin, the way you walk (more confidently).

The way you feel is another reason to work out. After a couple weeks of working out, you are going to start to feel great. You’ll have more energy and you may even feel happier. You’ll find that going up the steps is a whole lot easier too.

Sex will be better. Not only will you have more energy to do it, you’ll also be able to do it better. On top of that, you’ll be able to achieve the big O easier.

The the endorphins flowing from your work outs you’ll also be able to sleep better, imagine, a good  nights sleep. This will help you deal with stress better too.

Instead of going to the beach and just laying there eating sandwiches all day, choose to do something more exciting that helps you keep fit at the same time. No, I don’t mean go to a fitness spa, that’s not fun. Here, try some of these fun and fit vacation ideas.

- Learn to parasail or hang glide. If you’re the adventurous type you’re going to love giving parasailing and hang gliding a try.

- Take a rafting trip. Most major rivers offer some sort of rafting tour. Get out there with nature and try something new.

- Join a cattle ranch. This kind of hard work may not sound like a vacation, but if you live in the city, this may be just the thing you need.

- Go hiking. Park your car on one part of a trail and take a bus, or have a friend give you a lift, to the other end of the trail. Then hike back to your car. Make sure you pack everything you need, and don’t go further than you can realistically go.

If you live less than a mile from your local grocery store and you just need a couple things, take a walk. Get a light backpack and take it with you. Then you can put your groceries in the backpack and carry them home.

A great way to get some exercise is to walk to where you need to go, then walk home. There’s no place near me to walk to, but if I’m out at the park and need something to drink, I’ll walk to the store.

If you live a little further than a mile, ride your bike. Don’t worry about the hills. If you can’t ride up the hill, you can always walk up it.

If you really want to burn more calories, but you want to stay walking and you don’t want to take up anything like jogging, try walking uphill instead. Walking uphill burns a lot more calories than just walking on a flat surface.

You’ll also tone your lower body when you walk uphill. As you walk up the hill you’ll work your legs, back and stomach muscles. Try to find a hill and walk up and down it for a good workout.

If you don’t have a hill set your treadmill’s incline at 10%. Walk uphill for a minute or two, then turn around and walk downhill. Keep doing this for at least half an hour.

The best way to get the much needed exercise your body desires is to play. What do you like to do? When I was younger I played softball. It was hard work and definitely kept me in shape. My son does cycling. He’s in great shape and  has a lot of fun doing it with the local cycling club.

What did you used to do when you were younger? Basketball, soccer, football? All of these are fun and also good exercise. There are amateur adult leagues for most sports. Maybe you can find one in your community. If not, create your own.

If you have kids, play with them. What do they like to do? Play baseball or toss a ball around with them. Go on a bike ride or practice kicking a ball into a goal. Whatever it is, just have fun and play.

If you have a REI store near you go and visit it. You’ll be able to find places to have fun with your family, and get some exercise at the same time. REI stores are handing out directions, maps and information for hiking trails and bike trails near you.

If you have kids, they’re going to like this too. They’ll each get an “Adventure Journal”. After each outing they can go to the store and get their journal stamped. After every three trips they can earn a prize.

Visit REI online for more information. They also offer some great trips you can go on. Explore the world and get in shape.

I love my weighted hula hoop. Since I’ve started using it my stomach and back muscles have become much stronger. You can see the muscles on my belly starting to come out from hiding. But does this mean the weighted hula hoop is better than the traditional light hula hoop? In some ways it is, in other ways it’s not.

The weighted hula hoop is good for making the muscles of your core stronger, it’s true. But if your goal is to burn calories, this may not be the best bet for you. The weighted hula hoop is easier to keep up and keep going than the light hula hoop, this means less calories per minute.

If your goal is to burn a lot of calories in a short time, you may want to consider getting a lighter hula hoop too. If you combine the two types of hula hoops into one workout you can burn calories and strengthen your core at the same time.

Every time you go for a walk or a jog, rev it up a little. Every few minutes add a burst of energy to your workout. Walk or jog faster for a minute every now and then. By adding these short bursts of energy to your workout you can burn up to 100 calories more without having to add on any time to your workout. If you go for a walk 5 days a week, that adds up to an extra 500 calories per week burned

Doing something more challenging than what your body is used to also helps speed up your metabolism. If you don’t want to jog you can try speed walking, skipping or jumping rope as part of your walk.

Do you like to dance? If you like dancing then try this for your workout. Just turn on some of your favorite music and dance. You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to do it. Send your husband and kids outside to play and lock the doors. Then dance.

If you like doing your workouts with your friends or with a group of other women you have a couple options. Join a gym. Some gyms have dance classes and you can dance there with other people who also like to dance. Or, find a dance studio. The kind of place where you would take a child for ballet or jazz lessons. Some of them offer adult classes and you can learn something while you work out.

The dance studio where my son goes offers a variety of adult dance classes. You can take hip hop, tap dance, ballet and a couple others.

Exercise does not have to be a long grueling task, but it does need to be done. Even thin people need to exercise to keep physically fit. Remember, you’re not just trying to lose weight, you need to lose fat. You also need to keep your heart and lungs in good working shape so you’ll live longer and be healthier.

Even thin people can have a high body fat percentage if they don’t exercise. To find out how much body fat you have you can get a body fat composition test done by your doctor or at your gym. You can also use a special scale created just for measuring body fat. To get rid of the body fat you need to do an aerobic exercises three days a week and strength training two days a week.

If you take just 10 minutes out of your day and use it to build a little muscle, to take place of the flab that’s there now, you’ll burn more calories. The calories you burn will be all day, every day. When you do an aerobic type workout you burn calories during the workout and for a couple hours after the workout. When you build new muscle you burn more calories all the time.

This is because muscle cells need more calories to maintain themselves than fat cells do. The more muscle you have the more calories you’ll burn. They burn more all the time because they’re there all the time.

You don’t have to lift weights until you’re big and bulky. Just ten minutes a day of strength training is all it takes. You don’t even have to use weights if you don’t want to. Do some crunches, push ups, leg lifts, squats, or any other exercise that works your muscles.

Sometimes if you’re biking, running or on an elliptical trainer your toes may become numb or tingly. Don’t worry, this is normal. Normal doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do something about it to keep it from happening though. All it means is that you don’t need to go to the doctor and there’s nothing physically wrong with you.

The numbness or tingling in your toes is caused by pressure on the nerves and blood vessels that aren’t normally there. There is a way to lessen this discomfort.

Make sure to always stretch your calf muscles before any workout. This is good for more than lessening the discomfort in your feet. It also helps to keep you from pulling muscles while you work out.

The other thing you should make sure to do while on an elliptical trainer is to make sure you press down using the balls of your feet. This will cause less pressure on the outsides of your feet and thus less numbness and tingling.

Housework can be an aerobic activity and a good part of your exercise routine. Here are four types of housework that you can do to burn some calories and work your muscles. To add an extra workout to your house cleaning routing, run up and down the steps once every few minutes while cleaning.

Mopping - Anyone with a big kitchen can tell you that mopping is a major workout. When you’re finished you’re exhausted and sore. Let me tell you the good part though. Mopping burns 112 calories in just 30 minutes. It also works your shoulder muscles and your biceps.

Gardening - Time to make the outside of your house beautiful as well as the inside. Get planting that garden. Whether it be flowers or something you can eat you’re going to burn 256 calories and hour while you’re out there working away. You’re also going to come back with stronger arms, legs and back.

Painting - Let’s gussy up the room by changing the color, and getting a workout at the same time. While you’re decorating and making your room into a new room your also working your core muscles and your arms at the same time. On top of that, you’re also burning 288 calories an hour.

Cleaning Gutters - Not a dream job for sure, but out of the four house cleaning jobs listed here, this one burns the most calories with a whopping 320 calories an hour. Wow! I think I need to clean the gutters out more often. You’ll also get a great workout by working your shoulders, arms, legs and upper back muscles.

Remember doing jumping jacks in gym class? I do, lots of them. It turns out that there was a reason your gym teacher made you do them, they’re good for you. Jumping jacks are a really simple way to get the cardio workout that you need to keep your heart strong and get you in shape.

They also make your leg muscles stronger. I’m sure you can see how, you’re jumping on them, something’s going to happen. As you jump up and down you’re working your leg muscles and your heart. Both are getting stronger.

Think back even further to when you were a small child. Did you have a hula hoop? Did you love making it spin around and around? Did you play with it every chance you got? I did, and I loved it.

They’re back you know. You can find hula hoops in gyms now. Adult hula hoops are different from the kiddie ones though. They’re weighted. Some of them are 3-4 pounds. As you spin them around your belly you work your stomach muscles. Only do it for a minute the first time, or you’ll get bruised. Then work your way up. Using a weighted hula hoop also burns a lot of calories.

What did you used to like doing when you where thin or when you were younger? Do you remember, I’ll give you a minute to think about it.

That’s enough time. Now it’s time to do something about it. Did you used to play on the softball team? Maybe you played an instrument? Did you ride your bike to the store and back?

Whatever it was you used to like to do, it’s time to start doing it again. Thin people are active, not to lose weight, but to have fun. They enjoy life more because they haven’t let go of the things they used to like doing.

Go out and join an adult softball team. Get a bike and some bike gear and get moving. Buy and instrument and start playing again. The more you enjoy your life the more likely you’ll be to stick to a healthier, thin person, lifestyle.

Did you know that one of the best ways to work those abs is to suck in your tummy. Try to hold in your tummy all day long. To make sure you’re doing this wear a string or sash around your waist and try not to let your tummy touch it. Think about pulling your belly button back toward your spine.

As you walk use your tummy muscles to do the walking for you, rely more on them then on your legs to move you across the room. When you sit, pull in your tummy muscles and sit up straight. It’s easier to hold in your tummy when your sitting back straight.

It’s also better for your back muscles. The stronger your abs are the less your back has to work to hold you up, hence less back pain. Give it a try.

Strength training, I don’t mean using barbells and big weights, just toning and strengthening your muscles, is the best way to make sure your metabolism goes up and stays there all day long. You don’t need big muscles, just tones muscles to do the job. When you do some basic strength training you build muscle. Muscle needs more calories to live, therefore you constantly burn more calories, even when you’re doing nothing at all.

You don’t need big weights and barbells to do strength training. Just you. Some examples of strength training are crunches, leg lifts, squats and push ups. Walking up steps is good for strength training, builds up your leg muscles and can be done slow to tone more of the muscle, or fast to get some aerobic benefit out of it too.

If you want to boost your strength training a little you can get some wearable weights and put them on your arms and legs when you do your strength training routine. More muscle means more calories burning all the time.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of Curves. But maybe you don’t really know much about it. I’m going to give you a glimpse of what Curves is from the standpoint of someone who goes there, me.

Back in September, the same day the kids started back at school, I joined Curves. I didn’t know what to expect but I’d heard a lot about it, and it was close to home and cheap, so I figured I’d give it a try. Am I glad I did.

First let me tell you about the workout. There are a lot of different machines you can use at Curves. Each one works two muscle groups at the same time. There is a push and a pull on each machine so you’re working one muscle group on the pull and the other side on the push. The machines don’t use weights, they use air. The only downside to this is that they only way to increase the weight is to go faster.

In between each machine is either a board held up by rubber or a stair stepper. On these stations you do your aerobics. You can walk or job in place, jump up and down or any number of other things. The instructors are there to give you ideas and help you out if you need help.

Now let me tell you about the atmosphere and the people. I have met the nicest women ever while at Curves. Curves has become the place I go to de-stress. I go there 3-4 days a week to relax and chat with real people. There’s always good music playing so you can just workout and listen to the music or you can chat with your new friends. No thinking involved. Just workout on something, listen for the voice telling to move to the next station and do what you’re told.